Band detaching method in band building drum and band building drum

ABSTRACT

The invention enables a built band (B) in a cylindrical shape to be easily and surely detached by peeling off the band (B) from being brought into close contact with a drum peripheral face in an expandable and contractable band building drum (D) constituted by two kinds of pluralities of segments ( 1   a )( 1   b ) arranged alternately in a peripheral direction, a diameter of one segment ( 1   a ) of two kinds of segments ( 1   a )( 1   b ) is contracted, thereafter, the segment ( 1   a ) is temporarily returned to a diameter expanding state, a diameter of other segment ( 1   b ) is contracted, thereby, the band (B) is peeled off from being brought into close contact with the drum outer peripheral face, thereafter, the band (B) is detached by bringing both of the segments ( 1   a )( 1   b ) into a diameter contracting state.

TECHNICAL FIELD

The present invention relates to a band detaching method in a bandbuilding drum for building a band in a shape of a circular cylinder ofmainly a carcass band for a tire or the like for peeling off the builtband from being brought into close contact with a drum peripheral faceto be detached therefrom, and a band building drum therefor.

BACKGROUND ART

In a background art, in a building step in fabricating a tire, as a tireconstituting member, there is built a carcass band in a shape of acircular cylinder by pasting and laminating, for example, a carcass plyconstituting a reinforcement member including an inner liner, a rubberchafer and a cord comprising a rubber material on a peripheral face of abuilding drum.

A band building drum used in building such a cylindrical band is anexpandable/contractable drum constituted by a number of segmentsplurally divided in a peripheral direction, and in building a band, therespective segments are held in a state of expanding a diameter thereof,the respective members are built by being pasted and laminated on thedrum peripheral face. Further, in taking out the built cylindrical bandto transfer to a next step, by contracting the diameter of therespective segments of the band building drum in a state of grabbing theband from an outer periphery thereof by grabbing means of a transferapparatus, the band is detached by peeling off the band from beingbrought into close contact with the drum peripheral face (for example,JP-A-2003-89158).

Normally, the respective segments constituting the band building drumare supported to respectively carry out diameter expanding and diametercontracting operations, as an example thereof, respective pluralities oftwo kinds of segments having a time difference therebetween in adiameter contracting operation are constituted to be arrangedalternately in a peripheral direction, in taking out the built band,first, one segments are contracted in a diameter (other segments arebrought into a diameter expanding state), next, other segments arecontracted in a diameter (JP-A-11-151763).

Meanwhile, according to a carcass band to be built, the innermost layeris constituted by a rubber member of an inner liner or the like, and isstrongly pressed to a drum peripheral face by a stitcher after pasting acarcass ply, and therefore, an inner peripheral face of the band isbrought into close contact with outer side faces of the respectivesegments, and are not peeled off by only providing the time differencein the diameter contracting operation as described above, there is acase in which a portion thereof as brought into close contact therewithremains, and the band cannot easily be detached.

That is, when the one segments are operated to contract the diameter,the other segments are brought into the diameter expanding state, sincethe band is supported from the inner side by the segments, the band canbe peeled off from being brought into close contact therewith, however,when the other segments are operated to contract the diameter, the bandis grabbed from the outer periphery by the grabbing means of thetransfer apparatus and is not supported from the inner side. Therefore,the band brought into close contact with the outer side faces of theother segments are not easily peeled off, and there is a concern thatthe band is pulled to the inner side to deform in accordance withoperation of contracting the diameter of the segments, which constitutesa hindrance in a case of automating to take out and transfer the builtband.

According to an apparatus shown in JP-A-11-151763 mentioned above, inorder to deal with shrinkage of the band per se after building, in astate of contracting the diameter of the one segments in two kinds ofthe segments, a clamp claw provided to the transfer apparatus isinserted to between the one segments and the inner peripheral face ofthe band, the band is supported from the inner side, and the othersegments are operated to contract the diameter.

However, in this case, a special apparatus having the clamp claw isneeded for the transfer apparatus of the band, not only a transferapparatus having a general purpose performance of only sucking andgrabbing the band from an outer periphery thereof cannot be used, but anoperation of inserting the clamp claw is needed between operations ofcontracting the diameter of two kinds of the respective segments,further, there is also a concern of damaging a side end portion of theband by the clamp claw, and a smooth taking out operation cannot becarried out.

Further, although in order to prevent the band from being brought intocontact with the band building drum, it is conceivable to subject thedrum peripheral face to a working treatment for preventing the closecontact, or adopt means for blowing air to peel off the band from beingbrought into close contact therewith, it is not sufficientlysatisfactory in view of a peeling effect.

-   Patent Reference 1: JP-A-2003-89158-   Patent Reference 2: JP-A-11-151763

DISCLOSURE OF THE INVENTION Problems that the Invention is to Solve

The invention has been carried out in view of the above-describedproblem and provides a band detaching method capable of peeling off aband from being brought into close contact with a drum peripheral faceand easily and surely detaching the band therefrom by devising anoperation of contracting a diameter of respective segments when a bandin a shape of a circular cylinder built by being pasted and laminated ona band building drum is detached from a drum outer peripheral face, andprovides a band building drum improved to be able to carry out a uniquediameter contracting operation.

Means for Solving the Problems

A band detaching method in a band building drum of the inventionresolving the above-described problem is characterized in that in anexpandable and contractable band building drum constituted by segmentsplurally formed separately in a peripheral direction, when a band in ashape of a circular cylinder is built by bringing the respectivesegments into a diameter expanding state and the built band is takenout, thereafter, by contracting a diameter of a first segment of twokinds of the segments arranged alternately in the peripheral direction,thereafter, temporarily returning the first segment to a diameterexpanding state, and contracting a diameter of other second segment, theband is peeled off from being brought into close contact with a drumouter peripheral face, thereafter, the band is detached by bringing bothof the first and the second segments into a diameter contracting state.

According to the drum diameter contracting method for taking out theband of the invention, when the diameter of the first segment of one ofthe two kinds is contracted first, other second segment is brought intothe diameter expanding state and the band is supported from an innerside, and therefore, the band inner peripheral face brought into closecontact with the first segment can surely be peeled off. Further, whenthe diameter of the second segment is contracted, the first segment isbrought into the diameter expanding state to support the band from theinner side, and therefore, the band inner peripheral face can surely bepeeled off from being brought into close contact with the secondsegment. That is, an entire face of the band brought into close contactwith the drum outer peripheral face can surely be peeled off, and thebuilt band can easily be detached from the band building drum. Further,the band is facilitated to be transferred to a next step by a transferapparatus of sucking the built band from the outer periphery to hold.

A band building drum of the invention used in the band detaching methodis an expandable and contractable band building drum characterized byincluding two kinds of first and second segments plurally formedseparately in a peripheral direction and arranged alternately in theperipheral direction, wherein the first and second respective segmentsare respectively guided to permit expanding and contracting movements ina diameter direction and restrict movements in an axial direction byguide means relative to a drum shaft, the first segment is connected toand supported by first expanding/contracting means provided on the drumshaft and the second segment is connected to and supported by secondexpanding/contracting means, respectively, and the firstexpanding/contracting means and the second expanding/contracting meansare individually controlled to operate, in detaching a band after havingbeen built, the first segment is operated to contract a diameter,thereafter, temporarily returns to an original diameter expanding state,next, the second segment is operated to contract a diameter, thereafter,the first and the second respective segments are controlled to operateto be brought into a diameter contracting state. By the band buildingdrum, the invention of the band detaching method can be carried outexcellently without a problem.

The first and the second expanding/contracting means utilizing amovement in the axial direction by a cylinder mechanism on the drumshaft and a link mechanism facilitate an operation control forexpanding/contracting operations, which is particularly preferable.

The band building drum is characterized in including a first and asecond cylinder mechanism respectively including a first and a secondcylinder maintaining an airtight state relative to the drum shaft andslidable in the axial direction, and a first and a second piston portionrespectively fixed to the drum shaft in the two cylinders respectivelyat an outer peripheral portion of the drum shaft, wherein the twocylinders are constituted to move to slide respectively in the axialdirection by operations of charging and discharging air to and fromspaces in the two cylinders on both sides in the axial direction of therespective piston portions, as the first and secondexpanding/contracting means, the first segment and the second segmentare connected to the first cylinder and the second cylinder respectivelyby way of link members, and provided to operate to expand and contractby moving the cylinders in the axial direction. Thereby, the banddetaching method of the invention is facilitated to carry out.

Further, in the band building drum, it is preferable that a connectionfulcrum of the link member connected to the second segment with thesecond cylinder is disposed on an inner side of a connection fulcrum ofthe link member connected to the first segment with the first cylinder,and the second segment is provided to be able to contract the diameterto a position at which the diameter of the second segment is smallerthan the diameter of the first segment. Thereby, the diameters of thefirst and the second segments can be contracted in the state ofproviding the stepped difference therebetween.

Advantage Of The Invention

According to the band detaching method in the band building drum of theinvention, by operating to contract the diameters of two kinds of therespective pluralities of segments constituting the band building drumalternately in a state of holding other in the diameter expanding state,an entire face of the inner peripheral face of the built band can easilyand surely be peeled off from being brought into close contact with theouter peripheral faces of the respective segments of the band buildingdrum, and the band can be detached from the band building drum easilyand without a concern of bringing about a deformation.

Therefore, in building, for example, a tire, an operation of taking outthe built cylindrical band from the band building drum to transfer to anext step can be made efficient, and is facilitated to automate, whichcontributes to an increase in a tire building efficiency.

BEST MODE FOR CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

Next, an embodiment of the invention will be explained based on anexample shown in the drawings.

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view showing an example of a bandbuilding drum of the invention, FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view of adiameter contracting state of the same, FIG. 3 and FIG. 4 are sectionalviews taken along a line III-III and a line IV-IV of FIG. 1, FIG. 5A,FIG. 5B, FIG. 5C and FIG. 5D are explanatory views showing a state ofoperating to expand and contract two first and second segments.

A band building drum D of an illustrated example is a drum used forbuilding a carcass band in a building step of a tire, as shown by FIG. 3and FIG. 4, a drum main body 1 in a shape of a circular cylinder isconstituted by respective pluralities of two kinds of first and secondsegments 1 a, 1 b formed plurally to be divided separately in aperipheral direction, and the first segments 1 a and the second segments1 b are arranged alternately in the peripheral direction and constitutedto be expandable and contractable. Numeral 2 designates a drum shaft.

The first segment 1 a and the second segment 1 b are respectively guidedby guide means 3 a, 3 b in a diameter direction provided on the drumshaft 2 to permit expanding and contracting movements in the diameterdirection and restrict a movement in an axial direction, the firstsegment 1 a is connected to first expanding/contracting means 10 aprovided on the drum shaft 2 on an inner side of the drum to besupported expandably and contractably, and the second segment 1 b isconnected to second expanding/contracting means 10 b to be supportedexpandably and contractably, respectively. Notation 4 a, 4 b designatereinforcement members attached to inner side faces of the respectivesegments 1 a, 1 b.

In the case of the drawings, the first expanding/contracting means 10 aand the second expanding/contracting means 10 b are constituted toutilize a first cylinder mechanism 11 a and a second cylinder mechanism11 b aligned at an outer peripheral portion of the drum shaft 2 on theinner side of the drum to be spaced apart from each other in the axialdirection.

The first and the second cylinder mechanisms 11 a, 11 b are constitutedby including a first and a second cylinders 12 a and 12 b respectivelyslidable in the axial direction relative to the drum shaft 2 bymaintaining an airtight state, and a first and a second piston portions13 a and 13 b respectively fixed to the drum shaft 2 in the twocylinders 12 a and 12 b, and the two cylinders 12 a, 12 b areconstituted to slide to move respectively in the axial direction by anoperation of charging and discharging air or the like to and from innerspaces of the two cylinders 12 a, 12 b, particularly, spaces 14 a 1, 14a 2;14 b 1, 14 b 2 on both sides in the axial direction of the pistonportions 13 a, 13 b.

For example, FIG. 1 shows a state of charging air to the space 14 a 2 onthe right side of the first piston portion 13 a in the drawing and thespace 14 b 1 on the left side of the second piston portion 13 b in thedrawing (spaces 14 a 1 and 14 b 2 are brought into an air dischargingstate), conversely to the above-described, FIG. 2 shows a state in whichair is charged to the space 14 a 1 on the left side of the pistonportion 13 a in the drawing, and the space 14 b 2 on the right side ofthe piston portion 13 b in the drawing (air is discharged from spaces 14a 2 and 14 b 1), and the first and the second cylinders 12 a and 12 bare respectively moved in the axial direction.

Air is charged and discharged to and from the respective spaces 14 a 1,14 a 2;14 b 1, 14 b 2 by way of charging/discharging paths 15 a 1, 15 a2;15 b 1, 15 b 2 provided at inside of the drum shaft 2 andcommunicating with the respective spaces. The respectivecharging/discharging paths 15 a 1, 15 a 2;15 b 1, 15 b 2 arerespectively individually connected to charging/discharging means (notillustrated) of blowers or the like, and respective charging/dischargingoperations are controlled in accordance with expanding/contractingoperations of the drum mentioned later.

The first respective segments 1 a and the second respective segments 1 bare connected to the first cylinder 12 a and the second cylinder 12 b byway of a first and a second link members 5 a and 5 b at two portionsspaced apart from each other in the drum shaft direction, and supportedto carry out expanding/contracting operations by changes in inclinationsof the link members 5 a and 5 b by moving the respective cylinders 12 aand 12 b in the axial direction, that is, by a change in an anglebetween an erected state of FIG. 1 and an inclining state of FIG. 2relative to the drum shaft 2.

In the case of the drawings, the first cylinder 12 a is extended with acylinder portion 16 a slidably fitted to an outer periphery of thecylinder 12 b at an end portion thereof on a side opposed to the secondcylinder 12 b, one end of the first link member 5 a is connected to thecylinder portion 16 a by a pin pivotably in the axial direction, andother end thereof is connected to an inner side face of the firstsegment 1 a by a pin. Further, both ends of the second cylinder 12 b areextended with cylinder portions 16 b, 16 b having a diameter smallerthan a cylinder diameter respectively slidably fitted to the drum shaft2, one ends of the second link members 5 b are connected to the cylinderportions 16 b, 16 b by pins pivotably in the axial direction, and otherends thereof are connected to an inner side face of the second segment 1b by pins.

That is, a pin connection position on the side of the cylinder mechanism11 a of the first link member 5 a, that is, a connection fulcrum 6 awith the cylinder 12 a is disposed on an outer side of the cylinderdiameter, further, a pin connection position on the side of the cylindermechanism 11 b of the second link member 5 b, that is, a connectionfulcrum 6 b with the cylinder 12 b is disposed on an inner side of thecylinder diameter, and a link length of the link member 5 a is made tobe longer than that of the first link member 5 a. Thereby, the secondsegment 1 b connected to the second link member 5 b is constituted to beable to contract the diameter to a position at which the diameter issmaller than that of the first segment 1 a.

Further, the second link member 5 b is connected inclinably to both ofthe second segment 1 and the second cylinder 11 a by a pin by way of anotch 17 a formed at the cylinder portion 16 a.

Further, the cylinder mechanisms 11 a, 11 b constituting the firstexpanding/contracting means 10 a and the second expanding/contractingmeans 10 b are constituted such that respective movements in the axialdirection of the cylinders 12 a, 12 b, that is, operations of chargingand discharging air or the like to and from the spaces 14 a 1, 14 a 2;14b 1, 14 b 2 are respectively individually controlled, in detaching aband after building, one of two kinds of the first and the secondsegments 1 a, 1 b, for example, the first segment 1 a connected to thelink member 5 a having the shorter link length is operated to contractthe diameter, thereafter, temporarily returns to the original diameterexpanding state, next, the second segment 1 b connected to the linkmember 5 b having the longer link length is operated to contract thediameter, thereafter, the first segment 1 a is operated to contract thediameter again to set both of the first and the second respectivesegments 1 a, 1 b to be brought into the diameter contract state, and anoperation thereof can be controlled.

The band building drum D having the above-described constitution isfastened to a main shaft 8 of a support portion 7 including rotationdriving means (not illustrated) of a motor or the like at one endportion 21 of the drum shaft 2 by bolt fastening means and is used forbuilding, for example, a cylindrical band of a carcass band or the likein tire building.

First, in building the cylindrical band, the two kinds of the first andthe second respective segments 1 a, 1 b are made to expand the diametersto constitute an outer peripheral face of the same circle respectivelyby the first and the second expanding/contracting means 10 a, 10 b to beheld in states of FIG. 1 and FIG. 5A. That is, by making the cylinder 12a of the first cylinder mechanism 11 a constituting the firstexpanding/contracting means 10 a disposed on the right side of FIG. 1and making the cylinder 12 b of the cylinder mechanism 11 b constitutingthe second expanding/contracting means 10 b disposed on the left side ofFIG. 1, the first and the second link members 5 a, 5 b can be held in astate of being erected relative to the drum shaft 2, and the bothrespective segments 1 a, 1 b can be held in the diameter expandingstate. Thereby, a band B having a predetermined inner diameter andconstituting the cylindrical shape can be built.

Further, in the detaching method of the invention of taking out the bandB in the cylindrical shape built as described above from the bandbuilding drum D, for example, the band B is brought into a state ofbeing grabbed from the outer periphery by grabbing means of a transferapparatus to a next step, first, the diameter of one of the first andthe second segments 1 a, 1 b, for example, the first segment 1 a iscontracted as shown by FIG. 5B by operating the expanding/contractingmeans 10 a. That is, the cylinder 12 a of the cylinder mechanism 11 aconstituting the expanding/contracting means 10 a is moved in the axialdirection to the left of FIG. 1 by an operation of charging/dischargingair to and from the inner spaces 14 a 1, 14 a 2. Thereby, the diameterof the first segment 1 a connected to the cylinder 12 a by way of thefirst link member 5 a is contracted as shown by FIG. 5B.

At this occasion, the other second segment 1 b is held to stay in thediameter expanding state, and supports the band B from the inner side,and therefore, a deformation of the band B to the inner side can berestrained, and therefore, an inner peripheral face of the band B caneasily be peeled off from being brought into close contact with thefirst segment 1 a.

Next, with regard to the first segment 1 a, the first segment 1 a istemporarily returned to the original diameter expanding state (that is,states of FIG. 1 and FIG. 5A) by moving the cylinder 12 a of the firstcylinder mechanism 11 a in the axial direction by an operation ofcharging and discharging air to and from the inner spaces 14 a 1, 14 a2, thereafter, the diameter of the second segment 1 b is contracted asshown by FIG. 5C by operating the expanding/contracting means 10 b. Thatis, the cylinder 12 b of the cylinder mechanism 11 b constituting theexpanding/contracting means 10 b is moved in the axial direction to theright side of FIG. 1 by the operation of charging and discharging air toand from the inner spaces 14 b 1, 14 b 2. Thereby, the diameter of thesecond segment 1 b connected to the cylinder 12 b by way of the secondlink member 5 b is contracted as shown by FIG. 5C. At this occasion, theone first segment 1 a is held to stay in the diameter expanding stateand supports the band B from the inner side, and therefore, thedeformation of the band B to the inner side can be restrained, and theinner peripheral face of the band B can easily be peeled off from beingbrought into close contact with the second segment 1 b.

Thereafter, both of the first and the second segments 1 a, 1 b arebrought into a state of contracting the diameters as shown in FIG. 5D.That is, by contracting the diameter of the first segment 1 a again in astate of contracting the diameter of the second segment 1 b connected tothe link member 5 b having the longer link length as described above,the diameters of both of the first and the second segments 1 a, 1 b canbe contracted by constituting a stepped difference therebetween as shownby FIG. 5D.

Thereby, the built band B can surely be peeled off from being broughtinto close contact with the drum outer peripheral face and can bedetached easily from the band building drum D. Therefore, in a state ofgrabbing the band B by the transfer apparatus including means of suckingand grabbing the band B from an outer periphery thereof, the band B canbe peeled off from being brought into close contact with the buildingdrum D and can easily be taken out from the building drum D, further,the built band is facilitated to transfer to the next step by thetransfer apparatus.

Further, according to the method of detaching the band from the buildingdrum and the band building drum of the invention, an object thereof isapplicable not only to the carcass band in building the tire, but to abelt band or a band building drum needing expanding/contractingoperations of a first stage building drum or the like.

Industrial Applicability

The invention can preferably be utilized in a case of detaching a builtband from a building drum by peeling off the band from being broughtinto close contact therewith by operations of expanding and contractingthe building drum in a band building drum of building a band in acylindrical shape of a carcass band, a belt band or the like in buildinga tire.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[FIG.1]

FIG. 1 is a vertical sectional view showing an example of a bandbuilding drum of the invention.

[FIG.2]

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional view of a diameter contracting state ofthe same.

[FIG.3]

FIG. 3 is a sectional view taken along a line III-III of FIG. 1.

[FIG.4]

FIG. 4 is a sectional view taken along a line IV-IV of FIG. 1.

[FIG.5A]

FIG. 5A is an explanatory view showing a state of operating to expandand contract both first and second segments.

[FIG.5B]

FIG. 5B is an explanatory view showing a state of operating to expandand contract the both first and second segments.

[FIG.5C]

FIG. 5C is an explanatory view showing a state of operating to expandand contract the both first and second segments.

[FIG.5D]

FIG. 5D is an explanatory view showing a state of operating to expandand contract the both first and second segments.

Description Of Reference Numerals And Signs

B . . . band in cylindrical shape, D . . . band building drum, 1 . . .drum main body, 1 a, 1 b . . . first segment and second segment, 2 . . .drum shaft, 3 a, 3 b . . . guide means, 4 a, 4 b . . . reinforcementmembers, 5 a, 5 b . . . first and second link members, 6 a, 6 b . . .connection fulcrums with cylinder, 7 . . . support portion, 8 . . . mainshaft, 10 a, 10 b . . . first and second expanding/contracting means, 11a, 11 b . . . first and second cylinder mechanisms, 12 a, 12 b . . .first and second cylinders, 13 a, 13 b . . . first and second pistonportions, 14 a 1, 14 a 2;14 b 1, 14 b 2 . . . inner spaces of cylinders,15 a 1, 15 a 2;15 b 1, 15 b 2 . . . air charging/discharging paths, 16a, 16 b . . . cylinder portions, 17 a . . . notch

The invention claimed is:
 1. A band detaching method in a band buildingdrum, including an expandable and contractable cylindrically shaped bandbuilding drum having a plurality of first segments and a plurality ofsecond segments disposed alternately and circumferentially to form thecylindrical shape of the band building drum, the band detaching methodcomprising the following steps in order: bringing the respectivesegments into a diametrically expanded state for the band building to becarried out, and after that then; building the band around an outercircumferential surface of the expanded segments and after that then;diametrically contracting the first segments from the diametricallyexpanded state while holding the second segments in the diametricallyexpanded state and after that then; temporarily returning the firstsegments to the diametrically expanded state while holding the secondsegments in the diametrically expanded state, and then after thatdiametrically contracting the second segments from the diametricallyexpanded state while holding the first segments in the diametricallyexpanded state, so that the band is peeled off from being in closecontact with the outer circumferential surface of the segments; and thenafter that detaching the band by bringing both of the first and thesecond segments into a diametrically contracted state.
 2. The banddetaching method in a band building drum according to claim 1, whereinboth of the first and second segments are brought into the diametricallycontracted state by diametrically contracting the second segments, andthereafter, diametrically contracting the first segments again withoutdiametrically expanding the second segments.
 3. The band detachingmethod in a band building drum according to claim 2, and furtherwherein, the band building drum includes first and second cylindersslideable independently in a drum shaft direction, first and secondpiston portions respectively fixed to a drum shaft in the first andsecond cylinders, and further wherein the first and second segments areconnected to the first and second cylinders respectively by way of linkmembers, and further wherein the first and second segments are expandedand contracted respectively by moving each cylinder independently toslide in the drum shaft direction by charging air and discharging airfrom inner spaces of the first and second cylinders.
 4. The banddetaching method in a band building drum according to claim 1, andfurther wherein, the band building drum includes first and secondcylinders slideable independently in a drum shaft direction, first andsecond piston portions respectively fixed to a drum shaft in the firstand second cylinders, and further wherein the first and second segmentsare connected to the first and second cylinders respectively by way oflink members, and further wherein the first and second segments areexpanded and contracted respectively by moving each cylinderindependently to slide in the drum shaft direction by charging air anddischarging air from inner spaces of the first and second cylinders.